Binx had a vet appointment today, and I needed to get him into his carrier in order to take him. He's progressing okay with his comfort around humans, but he's still very skittish, and doesn't let me touch him or move towards him very quickly. I've been leaving his carrier out with him since I brought him home, and yesterday I fed him in the carrier several times. This morning when it was time to bring him to the vet I put a little bit of baby food on a saucer way at the back of his carrier and sat next to it, waiting for him to go in. He did, and began to eat, but his tail was still sticking out at the back. I didn't shut the door quickly, because I didn't want to hurt his tail, and he managed to scramble out of the carrier before I could close it.
I was talking on the phone with my mom at this point, and she said I should just throw a towel over him and wrap him in it to get him in the carrier. I was going to try this, and spent the next half hour chasing Binx around my bedroom, trying to wrap him in a towel. Needless to say, I couldn't ever get my hands on him.
Now I feel like a terrible cat mom. He ran off somewhere in the room, and he's hiding (not 24 hours after he spent half of yesterday hiding from me) and I'm sure we're back to square one with him terrified of me... I feel really horrible for scaring him like that, and I don't know what to do about getting him into his carrier for the (rescheduled) vet appointment on Wednesday.
Anyone have ideas for getting him to the vet? I'm halfway to buying a trap on amazon like the one my friend used to trap him initially and bring him inside, but that just seems a little extreme for taking him to the vet. Do I need a bigger carrier? Are there carriers with different kinds of doors that make them easier to "trap" cats in?
Is Binx ever going to be comfortable enough around me to go to the vet without me feeling horrible about it? I feel like I'm not doing any of the right things with socializing him, because he's still so afraid of me, but that also seems like it would be normal... I don't know... Any advice or support would be welcome.
I was talking on the phone with my mom at this point, and she said I should just throw a towel over him and wrap him in it to get him in the carrier. I was going to try this, and spent the next half hour chasing Binx around my bedroom, trying to wrap him in a towel. Needless to say, I couldn't ever get my hands on him.
Now I feel like a terrible cat mom. He ran off somewhere in the room, and he's hiding (not 24 hours after he spent half of yesterday hiding from me) and I'm sure we're back to square one with him terrified of me... I feel really horrible for scaring him like that, and I don't know what to do about getting him into his carrier for the (rescheduled) vet appointment on Wednesday.
Anyone have ideas for getting him to the vet? I'm halfway to buying a trap on amazon like the one my friend used to trap him initially and bring him inside, but that just seems a little extreme for taking him to the vet. Do I need a bigger carrier? Are there carriers with different kinds of doors that make them easier to "trap" cats in?
Is Binx ever going to be comfortable enough around me to go to the vet without me feeling horrible about it? I feel like I'm not doing any of the right things with socializing him, because he's still so afraid of me, but that also seems like it would be normal... I don't know... Any advice or support would be welcome.